COCONUT SHELL

The coconut has long been celebrated as one of the Philippines' most versatile natural resources, with nearly every part of the tree serving a valuable purpose. Among its most distinctive materials is the coconut shell, prized for its strength, durability, and natural beauty. These qualities make it an ideal medium for handcrafted accessories, home décor, and functional art.

The DOST characterizes coconut as a dominant part of the Philippine agricultural landscape, planted in 69 out of the 82 provinces in the Philippines and covering 3.67 million hectares of arable land. It is among the Philippines’ top commodities with 14.89 million tons of production in 2023. Consequently, it contributes to at least 35% of the total agricultural export earnings of the country from 2013 to 2022 providing livelihood to over 2.74 million coconut farmers.

As of 2025, the coconut (with husk) production reached 14.5 million metric tons. Davao Region was the largest producer of coconut with 1.9 million metric tons of output or 13.7% of the national share. With respective productions of 1.8 million metric tons (12.6%) and 1.7 million metric tons (12.3%), Northern Mindanao and Zamboanga Peninsula completed the top three regions with the highest coconut production.

There is purportedly a steadily growing global demand for raw coconut and its diversified, value-added products. The country enjoys a high demand for both traditional and novel products. Philippine coconut is mainly exported as products like virgin coconut oil (VCO) and desiccated coconut. The top promising nontraditional coconut products consist of VCO, coco water, coconut concentrate, liquid coco milk, coco cream, hydrogenated coconut oil, coco husk cubes, coco peat, baled coir, and glycerin. The United Coconut Association of the Philippines provides more information about other coconut products and their main export markets.